The present invention relates to positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve assemblies, and more particularly, the invention relates to the mechanism controlling the flow through the PCV valve.
PCV valve assemblies are used to vent unburned combustion gases, which blows by the piston rings and into the engine crankcase, to the intake manifold to be burned. Release of pressure within the crankcase and burning the unburned combustion gases are critical to obtain desirable engine operation and emissions. Numerous PCV valve actuation devices for opening and closing the valve have been proposed, some of which do not provide valve control to the degree desired.
Some PCV valve assemblies incorporate a poppet valve that moves axially within a valve housing between positions to vary the flow through the PCV valve. The valve assembly is subject to vibrations from the vehicle and engine, which may inhibit the proper operation of the valve. For example, a poppet valve body may engage an inner surface of the housing as it moves between the positions. The vibrations may cause the poppet to be skewed along its axis as it moves between the positions thereby binding up in an undesired position due to the large contact surface area between the valve and the housing. As a result, the desired amount of flow may not be provided through the PCV valve and an undesirable noise may occur from the malfunctioning valve assembly. Therefore, what is needed is an improved valve control device providing more consistent operation of the valve to obtain the desired flow through the PCV valve.